Whenever You Speak
by i.forgive.you
Summary: When Angel moved with her mother to England, she never expected for things to be so, well, exciting. Between the Bulgarian they're housing and the British boy who he keeps harassing, she honestly doesn't know who she wants more.
1. Number Six

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**_

**Author's note: Alright, now that we have _that_ out of the way, onto the introduction. I love Viktor Krum. I think he's an awesome character who unfortunately gets ignored. Hence! We have this lovely story! It takes place during the Summer between Harry's 6th and 7th Year. I hope you enjoy it!**

**A/N 2: This is a story I am taking over for a friend who went under the username KhronosAbandonato. I love Krum as much as she does so I was very happy when she asked me to take over her stories. I am hoping to keep the spirit of her stories as much as possible though my own flair will be thrown in.**

* * *

Angel sighed as she looked around her room. It was finally unpacked. It had taken her long enough. Four days to be exact. She wiped her sleeve across her brow and went to clean up. Looking at herself in the mirror, she didn't mind what she saw. She stood at about five feet and four inches in height. Her hair was a long riot of curly red flames that fell down her back in waves. Her eyes were a somber blue, not nearly as bright as her mother's own. Quite honestly, Angel had no problem saying that she liked herself.

And now it was time to explore this new place. Angel and her mother had moved to England from Kansas just days before. It was a change that the young woman was still not certain she wanted to get used to. After all, she was seventeen now and this would be her last year of school. She just wasn't going to be spending it with anyone she knew. At least she hadn't left a boyfriend behind.

Angel walked down the stairs knowing full well her mother was in the kitchen. "I'm going outside!" she called from the bottom of the stairs, not bothering to walk down the short hallway.

"Alright!" Tasha called to her daughter. Unlike Angel, Tasha had been born and raised in England. For her, the move was merely a return home. "Dinner is in a half hour! Don't be gone too long!"

"Yeah, yeah," Angel muttered, going to the door. She stopped as soon as she stepped out onto the porch. In the middle of the street stood two young men…arguing with each other. Well, not exactly arguing. The one wasn't even speaking English. He was a tall, broad-shouldered young man with short dark hair and strong features. He was speaking rapidly torn between annoyance and duty for a moment before yielding to one emotion. And from the look on the second boy's face, he was utterly lost.

"I have no idea what you're saying," the second boy told him quite frankly.

"He told you to… well… piss off," she informed him from her place on the porch.

"You understand my language?" the first boy asked. His voice was deep and he had stubble on his face. He had beautiful eyes and despite not being considered more classically handsome like the other young man, there was something appealing in his rough features.

"Yes," she managed after a moment in the same tongue. "My mother is a linguist. She's been teaching me all kinds of languages ever since I was a kid."

While Angel had been speaking, the first young man came striding up to her quickly followed by his companion who seemed flustered. "I am pleased to meet you, miss. My name is Viktor Krum." He snapped his heels together as he took her hand and bowed over it before kissing it gently. Color flooded the young woman's cheek as she bit her lip looking at the ground nervously.

"I-I'm Angel Thurston," she told him, managing a bright smile through a vivid flush on her face.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter," the other young man introduced himself with a grin. He had brilliant green eyes and messy black hair. He was kind of cute she had to admit, even with the glasses that covered his beautiful eyes. "Your mother isn't the famous Tasha Thurston who's visiting Parliament as a translator… is she?" He asked.

"Yeah, that would be mom alright," Angel said with a laugh. "She got really excited and so now we're living here. Number six." she said pointing to the number that hung to the right of our door.

"We are down at the number four," Viktor informed her.

"_No_," Harry corrected annoyed. "_I_ live at Number Four. Viktor thinks he's staying with me."

"I have already told you Potter, I am staying with you." Viktor spoke with conviction while Harry seemed so adverse that Angel couldn't help but laugh.

It was her laughter that drew her mother to the door. "And what has you so excited?" she called from the kitchen before coming out. "Oh guests!" her face lit up and her blue eyes sparkled excitedly. "Hello boys. I'm Tasha, Angel's mother." Tasha Thurston was a woman of about average height with an hourglass build like her daughter. Her hair was golden blonde though, but had the same thickness and waves that constructed the unruly mop that made up Angel Thurston's crowing glory.

"It's very nice to meet you ma'am," Harry said with a smile offering his hand which Tasha shook. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter. I live down at Number Four with my aunt and uncle."

"And I am Viktor Krum." Viktor's English, Angel noticed, was slow and precise. Much nicer to listen to than most. "I am staying with Harry Potter." He took Tasha's hand and bowed over it before kissing it as he had with Angel's.

"You are _not_ staying with me Krum!" Harry said indignantly.

"You could stay with us," Tasha offered without missing a beat. Three teenagers rounded on the woman instantly all with different looks on their faces. Harry looked grateful, but hesitant. Krum looked… confused yet hopeful. Her daughter looked downright terrified though Tasha also saw the gleam of hope there too. She chuckled softly. "Well, it only makes sense since Harry can't put you up and we have plenty of room. That is if you don't mind Viktor."

"I would be most honored and grateful for your assistance," Viktor said with a smile. It was a hesitant smile that caught at Angel's heart. This boy, despite what other's would say, was a heartbreaker. She wondered how many other's saw it. "We shall meet and speak tomorrow, yes Harry?" Viktor asked turning to the now very exuberant Harry.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," he said quickly. He seemed overjoyed to have Viktor out of his hair.

"So where is your luggage at Viktor, did you take a cab?" Tasha asked looking outside. Angel was about to do the same thing when Harry spoke up quickly.

"Uh no! My uncle and I picked him up from the airport. His luggage is over by our house. We'll got get it," Harry said pointedly looking at Viktor.

"Yes, we shall be back," he said bowing before sweeping off back towards what I assumed was Number 4 with Harry.

"Which one is it?" Tasha asked watching her daughter, light dancing in her bright blue eyes. Angel's face flushed with color. "Ah! The charmer. Good choice, though from the look of you, you're still considering the British boy Harry." Tasha had always been able to read her daughter like an open book.

"So?" Angel finally managed to ask. "Does it really matter? With any luck, we'll be at the same school and I'll have the year to figure it out."

"Oh love," Tasha said with a laugh. "I think you already know. Now it's time for your mind to catch up with your heart."


	2. Early Morning

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I don't own any of it's characters. I just own this particular twist and any of the plot bunnies that come from it... of which there may be many.**_

_****Hasan Saeed: Well, I can't give that away now can I? Where would be the fun in that?_

* * *

Viktor was up at dawn. He moved to his window and looked longingly at the sky. If he was home, he would have been flying it, feeling the cold air rush past him. He would have felt the exhilaration of a sky that belonged to him and him alone. Here he had already been told that such a privilege was denied to him. And that thought was enough to torment him. The sky was the one constant that would now be denied him.

His hand curled into a fist at the thought. He knew it was for a good and just cause but it was not something that sat well with him. Then again, neither was the thought of bowing to Potter's whims when the boy was playing a fool. It was going to be a long summer, but Viktor had volunteered for this and he would not back down now. Not when he was so close to proving that he was not the monster that so many would have made him out to be. He had much to make up for and he would not stop until Harry had won the war that was coming towards them.

He dressed before he slipped out of the room and silently out of the house towards Number Four. Though he knew Potter would disapprove, Krum was not above openly defying the other male. He had done it enough yesterday to prove that for a life time. He would likely be tired of doing it by the end of the summer. Then again, Potter might give in by the end of the summer. Bulgarians prided themselves in their stubborn nature after all.

A smile curled his lips as he came to a stop in front of Number Four and surveyed the house. His barriers had stayed in place, even the back-ups. He had studied the particular type of spells for several months before he had finally been allowed this particular... position as one might call it. They were some of his best work that he had yet managed. Not nearly as good as they likely should be, but they were the better than what Potter had been using until now: _nothing_.

He turned away from the house and began to survey the street before him. It was odd to think that such a place would actually be his home for the next few months. It seemed like a sad and lonely place. He wasn't sure how anyone could willingly live there. Then again, he had never thought to find himself in England for any reason other than perhaps a game... or a woman.

He flinched at the memory Hermione Granger. Though he wouldn't admit it, there was a part of him that still loved the girl. A part of him that still longed for her even after she had broken his heart. He wasn't sure why. It was foolish really. She had made it quite clear that she didn't care for him in that way. He knew that he had to accept that, but knowing something and feeling something were never the same thing.

He crossed his arms over his chest and bowed his head, allowing the gray light to wash over him as he closed his eyes and conjured up an image of Hermione in her mind. Her smile was sweet and gentle, her mind something that made him want to prove himself and step forward and become something that he knew that he wasn't. But the more he thought of her, the more another face began to join hers. Another riot of hair, not brown but red. Eyes blue and vivid.

Viktor shook his head and a frown touched his lips. Why he should think of her, he honestly didn't know. He shouldn't have even been thinking of Hermione. His only focus needed to be Harry's safety. That and his redemption. It would sound silly to most, but he still had not forgiven himself for his weakness of two years before. He had been a fool to allow himself to be used the way that he had. He wasn't sure there would be enough duties in the world that could ever allow himself to forget what he had almost allowed to happen that day.

"I didn't think that anyone else would be up at this time of day."

Viktor had the self-presence not to jump as he turned and saw that Angel Thurston had already stirred herself from her sleep. Sweats and a tank top were her uniform of choice, the unruly hair he remembered pulled back into a high ponytail.

"I am an early riser," he managed with a shrug. A part of him wanted to add something in his own language, but he knew too well that she would understand it. She had already proven her knowledge of his language to be quite accurate the day before. "I would not have thought anyone else was awake."

Her cheeks were already flushed as she smiled. "I can't help it," she admitted with a shy shrug. "I actually kind of enjoy running. It helps me to think."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I would not think you should have anything to bother your thoughts.

She reached up and brushed a stray lock of her bright hair behind her ear and looked away. "I guess no one is ever what they seem," she granted. "And that sounds really stupid," she added with a laugh as she shook her head. "Come on. Mom should be up by now and she'll be making breakfast. It's not something that you'll wanna miss."

He stood still for a moment, watching her as she moved away. She was absolutely perplexing, the girl before him. But he couldn't help but like that about her. He smiled and shook his head, throwing one last look in the direction of Number Four before he moved after the young woman. He had promised Potter a visit later in the day already.

There would be time enough for it after he ate.


	3. Agreeing Before Lunch

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not own it's characters or the plot or the world. I do own my little twists as well as Miss Tasha and Miss Angel. Gotta own something right?_**

**__**_Hasan Saeed;; Well, I have nothing against slash pairings, but because of Angel's involvement (and my own personal loves for pairings) I had no intention of pairing Viktor with Harry. I have trouble seeing Viktor swinging that way._

* * *

Harry wasn't exactly sure how Viktor had managed to corner him, but he did know that there seemed no way for him to escape the conversation he had been pointedly avoiding for the last few hours. "Viktor, what's the point?" Harry asked with a sigh. "It's not like I actually plan to stay here much longer," he said looking away. "So why did they send you?"

"I asked them to," Viktor admitted. "It does not matter if you stay for only a little while or for the entire summer. Someone needs to look after you. If you die, so does hope."

Harry's cheeks flushed as he looked away. "I'm just another person. I'm no one's hope." Viktor snorted causing the color in Harry's cheeks to deepen, this time with annoyance. "I'm not!" he insisted.

"You _are_," Viktor insisted crossing his arms over his chest. "Whether you like it or not Potter and the more you deny it the more you hurt yourself and everyone around you." Harry jerked at the very clear and pointed words. He doubted that anyone had ever spoken quite like that to him before. He had been yelled at. He had been abused. He had been encouraged. He had been degraded. But never before had he been told such words. Not even Dumbledore had spoken to him quite like that.

Harry worked at his lower lip. "Why?" he asked quietly. "Why did you come?"

"I told you, someone has to protect our hope. If we ignore that, than we lose that hope. If we protect it and nurture it, than we have a chance to win back what is rightfully ours."

A silence grew between the two young men as Harry considered what Viktor had just told him. A part of him wanted to truly believe it, but at the same time, he felt like he shouldn't place that high of a value on himself. After all, it could have been anyone. Dumbledore had told him that much. It could have been Neville in his place.

_But it wasn't_, his mind reminded him. _It was you. Voldermort chose _you_ and nothing can change that._..

Harry nodded a little absently. "That doesn't mean I like it," he consented.

A smile touched Viktor's lips and he nodded his approval. "Than you shall join us for lunch, yes?"

Harry's eyebrows shot up. "Us?" he asked shifting his weight from one foot to the other feeling anxious. "Who's us? You don't mean- You can't just _invite_ me over to someone's house for lunch Viktor. It doesn't quite work like that."

The Bulgarian snorted and rolled his eyes. "Well I know," he he said. "Ms. Thurston wished that I should ask. Perhaps, you should like to say no to her personally?"

Bowing his head, the young wizard waved his hand, motioning for Viktor to lead the way. He wasn't about to argue with someone inviting him over for a meal when it was their own house. It was actually kind of nice to think that he would finally have someone on his own street who would tolerate him. It made him wish that Angel and her mother had moved to Privet Drive when he was younger.

Maybe then he wouldn't have been so lonely all the time.

Viktor paused at the door to number six for a moment before anxiously stepping inside. Harry was glad he wasn't the only one feeling more than just a little ridiculous about all of this. And he was feeling ridiculous as stupid as it sounded. It wasn't as if Viktor was going to lie to him about being invited over to someone's house for lunch. Harry followed the Bulgarian inside the house and looked around at walls and rooms that seemed similar in shape to the ones he had grown up around, but far more open and friendly.

"Is that you, Viktor?" Tasha Thurston called from the kitchen.

Viktor called back in Bulgarian and was answered in kind leaving Harry confused by the language for the second time in two days. As they entered the kitchen, Tasha turned away from her oven and came forward to envelope both boys in a hug. "Sorry about that Harry. I have a very bad habit of slipping into other languages when I have native speaks around to practice with," she confessed as she pulled back. "Why don't you boys go upstairs and fetch Angel. Lunch should be ready in a few minutes."

Harry and Viktor exchanged a look before nodding in agreement and moving back into the hallway and up the stairs. Viktor knocked on a closed door a little ways down the hall. "Just a minute!" the American accent called. The door opened a few moments to reveal Angel with her red curls frizzed around her face and her eyes bright with excitement. "Oh! Hi guys!" she greeted them breathlessly. "Is it time for lunch already or did you just come up to keep me company?" she asked.

"Lunch, actually," Harry managed to answer first with a smile. There was something about Angel and about her smile that was utterly infectious. It was as if she was just some bright light that liked to shine in every corner and make the darkness become forgotten.

She nodded. "Alright, I'll be out in just a second," she promised closing the door. Less than a minute later, she came out and moved past the two boys, stopping at the stairs to look back at them. "Well, aren't you coming?" she asked. "I know mom said you both had to come to lunch so let's not keep her waiting."

The two boys flushed and moved forward, stumbling into each other before Viktor finally stepped back and allowed Harry to go first. Harry couldn't help but think it was amazing the power that women could have over men.

Especially red haired ones.


End file.
